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The University of New Hampshire women’s ice hockey team, ranked eighth in the national polls with a 9-5-5 overall record, plays host to intrastate rival –and seventh-ranked – Dartmouth College on Jan. 16 (7 p.m.). The Wildcats then travel to play longtime league rival Northeastern University on Jan. 18 (2 p.m.). Friday’s intrastate matchup will be broadcast live on the UNH Sports Network as well as UNHwildcats.tv.
UNH has a 30-12-4 lifetime record, including a 3-1 road win last year, against Dartmouth College. The Wildcats are 3-1-1 in the last five meetings, but prior to that the Big Green had won five straight in the series. In the most recent meeting at the Whittemore Center (Dec. 10, 2006), the teams skated to a 3-3 tie. UNH has a 16-3-2 record at home vs. Dartmouth and that includes 7-3-2 at the Whittemore Center.
In last year’s game, Sam Faber scored two goals –including one on a first-period penalty shot – and Kayley Herman made 22 saves (12 in the third period) to lead UNH to a 3-1 win. The score was tied 1-1 at the end of both the first and second stanzas, then the ‘Cats potted goals 4:37 apart early in the final frame to take the two-goal lead. UNH finished with a 26-23 shot advantage, 0-for-4 on the power play and 8-for-8 on the penalty kill.
UNH has a 72-28-7 lifetime record, including two shutout victories this season, against Northeastern. The Wildcats have won 23 consecutive game in the series dating back to March 15, 2002, when the Huskies were 2-0 victors in an ECAC Eastern League semifinal game; of the 23 wins, 12 have been by shutout. UNH has a 28-14-1 road record against NU.
In this season’s first matchup (Nov. 26), UNH skated to a 2-0 victory at the Whittemore Center. Courtney Birchard scored midway through the second period and Angela Taylor scored in the closing minutes of the final frame while Kayley Herman recorded her 10th career shutout with 12 saves. NU goaltender Florence Schelling stopped 34 shots.
In the most recent game (Dec. 9), Jenn Wakefield potted a goal in both the first and second period and Micaela Long struck in the third to lift the ‘Cats to a 3-0 win. Lindsey Minton, in her first career start, made 22 saves for the shutout victory. Schelling made 21 stops for NU.
In the two games, UNH has outscored NU, 5-0, with a 60-34 shot advantage. The Wildcats went 0-for-8 on the power play and 12 of 12 on the PK.

SKATE WITH THE ‘CATS HITS THE ICE JAN. 19
Hey kids, it’s that time of year again! Skate with the ‘Cats is coming up on Monday, January 19th from 10am – 12pm at the Whittemore Center Arena. Skate with your UNH men’s and women’s hockey teams and get an autographed team poster! Kids’ Club members attend for free; non-members can sign-up on the day of the event for only $15.00.

SCHEDULE UPDATE
The UNH at Harvard game postponed from Dec. 12 has been rescheduled to Tuesday, February 17; game time at HU’s Bright Hockey Center is 7 p.m. In addition, the UNH vs. Providence game originally set for Feb. 15 has been moved to Saturday, February 14; game time at the Whittemore Center is 7 p.m.
THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
Thirteen games remain on the 2009 regular-season schedule. There are two non-conference games (Jan. 16 vs. Dartmouth and Feb. 17 at Harvard) in addition to 12 Hockey East league games –five of those 12 games are at home.
New Hampshire opened the 2009 season with 10 games in 25 days and the Wildcats compiled a 6-1-3 record, including a 1-1-3 mark against nationally-ranked teams. UNH closes the regular season with five games in 10 days (Feb. 13-22).
New Hampshire has a 3-1-1 record vs. ECAC teams with wins against St. Lawrence, Clarkson and Yale. The ‘Cats skated to a 1-1 tie vs. Harvard and lost at Colgate. All but the Colgate game were at the Whittemore Center.
The 43 shots last Saturday at Providence College marked the most shots by a UNH team in a shutout loss.
UNH has lost both games this season in which it has recorded 40+ shots. In addition to the 43-shot effort at Providence, the Wildcats registered 47 shots at Colgate.

SKATING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER
The third annual “Skating Strides Against Breast Cancer” has grown into a two-weekend event and features eight games between Jan. 29 and Feb. 8 with at least one event on every WHEA campus. UNH will play host to Boston College on Jan. 29 (7 p.m.) as part of the event.
The event is intended to work with the specific charities to raise awareness for both the league and the specific cause. In the initial year, close to $20,000 was donated back to local breast cancer charities (Friends of Mel’s Foundation and the American Cancer Society), vastly exceeding expectations. Last year, over $30,000 dollars was raised.

UNH ANNOUNCES OPERATION HAT TRICK
The University of New Hampshire athletic department has announced the creation of a special project called “Operation Hat Trick,” an initiative that will give baseball hats to injured military personnel.
For every two hats sold (suggested retail price of $19.95 each), a third will be donated to the VA Hospital’s Recreation Therapy program. Six local retailers, including an online provider, have committed to the project by selling the hats through their outlets. The retailers are: UNH Bookstore, Hayden Sports, Town & Campus, Sportdesigns.com, Friends of Men’s Hockey, Friends of Women’s Hockey and UNH Athletics.
Operation Hat Trick was launched at the UNH men’s hockey game vs. Providence on Nov. 22, and women’s hockey had its special presentation Friday, Dec. 5 vs. Harvard.
Members of the hockey teams wore Operation Hat Trick hats during introductions and then tossed each personally autographed hat into the crowd. Three team-signed hats were raffled off with proceeds going to the VA Hospital Recreation Therapy program. In mid-December, members of each hockey team traveled to the VA Hospital to meet and greet patients and to deliver the first group of hats.
For more information about Operation Hat Trick or to view the product, visit www.unhwildcats.com.

HOME SWEET HOME
The Wildcats are unbeaten (6-0-3) at the Whittemore Center this season and they were very successful at defending home ice last season with a 17-1-1 record. New Hampshire extended its home unbeaten streak to 22 games (18-0-4) Dec. 9 vs. Northeastern with a 3-0 win.

OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
New Hampshire has outscored the opposition 21-14 in the second period with a 196-138 shot advantage in that stanza. In comparison, UNH’s scoring advantage is three goals (17-14) in the first period and the opponents have a two-goal edge (19-17) in final frame.
UNH has scored a goal in 35 of 57 periods (excluding overtimes) this season, and that includes five games in which the ‘Cats scored at least once in all three periods.
The four power-play goals and seven goals overall Nov. 14 at Maine are single-game highs this season for the Wildcats. The four first-period goals also mark the highest single-period total.
UNH recorded a 34-2 shot advantage in the third period at Colgate on Nov. 29; Jenn Wakefield tallied 12 shots in that stanza. The ‘Cats finished with a 47-25 shot advantage in the 5-4 loss; they outscored the Raiders 2-1 in that third period.

WILDCATS IN THE NATION
A few Wildcats are ranked among the individual national leaders, and that includes Sam Faber leading the nation in shorthanded goals with three. Jenn Wakefield is No. 8 in goals per game, 14th in points per game, third in game-winning goals, fifth in shorthanded goals and sixth in power-play goals. Kacey Bellamy is 17th in defensemen scoring.